Dad Drops Brutality Complaint In Son's Arrest In Longwood

LONGWOOD — A complaint of police brutality has been dropped against a Longwood police officer and the department is holding an internal investigation into the allegations.

Ron Seibert, chief investigator for the Seminole County State Attorney's office, said Gene Waxman, 324 Pressview Ave., agreed to withdraw his complaint against the department during a Sept. 3 meeting with Police Chief Greg Manning and state attorney investigator Dave Hall.

Waxman filed the complaint, claiming Officer George Hart used excessive force when he arrested his 17-year-old son, Martin Waxman, for obstruction of an officer and resisting arrest without violence at a July 13 skateboard exhibition.

Seibert said the charges against Martin Waxman are still going through juvenile arbitration.

Gene Waxman could not be reached Friday for comment on why he decided to drop the charges.

However, Manning said Waxman dropped the charges because he ''felt the whole thing had gotten out of hand.''

Manning said it would take his department two to three weeks to complete its internal investigation.

According to the police report, the youth refused to leave an area under crowd control, yelled an obscenity at an officer and resisted arrest.

Martin Waxman had red marks on both wrists, lost all feeling in his left thumb and his right eye was bruised after the arrest, according to his complaint.

Police had been called to the parking lot of the 434 Center after a fight broke out at the skateboard competition. Waxman was not involved in the fight. Before the complaint was filed by Gene Waxman, at least five adults filed statements supporting the youth's claims of excessive force. Waxman said he decided to pursue charges after talking with the witnesses.

Longwood police won't comment on the case until after the internal investigation is completed.